This invention relates to improvements in power driven screw driving tools, particularly the hand held type. More particularly, it is concerned with an improved retractible nosepiece for the tool.
The improvement is a screw travel control feature incorporated in the nosepiece which is operable during a screw driving operation to control the depth to which the screw may be entered into the work.
The control feature is of an adjustable nature. It may be adjusted as needed to enable a screw to be seated to a precise depth relative to the work surface.
A desirable advantage of the improvement is that it enables the tool to drive a screw into the work to a point where the head of the screw has a precise seated relation to the surface of the work.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a screw driving tool comprising a housing, a screw driving bit supported in the housing so as to follow as a unit with the housing a screw as it is being driven by the bit into a work surface, a slide member supported by the housing for relative axial retractible movement having a normal position projecting axially beyond the housing and the bit and adapted to be retracted into the housing relative to the housing and bit upon being pressed into contact with a work surface, and stop means carried by the housing having cooperation with the slide member to limit the extent of retraction of the slide member into the housing.